this film come out in 2004 when Ben afleck career seemed to be going down the toilet but this was panned but i saw nothing wrong with this festive film which is fun for the whole family not a classic but its well worth the watch an i enjoyed this with a good cast at 1hr31mins it has some fun moments in it .Ben Affleck his .character is Drew Latham is .A lonely, obnoxious young rich executive millionaire pays a family to spend Christmas with James Gandolfini as Tom Valco his wife Catherine O'Hara ...as the lonely Christine Valco but the two get a makeover of sorts to sort out each other and his new sister and brother Christina Applegate ... ... Christine Valco Josh Zuckerman ... Brian Valco so when drew decides to find himself a friend for Xmas but he decides with all the madness mischief and mayhem to find his old home and bury the ghost of his past a decides when he get there to rent himself a family just so his girlfriend see he has one as he hates being alone the val cos have to decide on a offer and a script to play along with with the annoying new member his outrageous diva demands turns there holidays into a nightmare scenario in this slapstick comedy that really makes any dysfunctional family look good watch out for there hilarious grandparents so with snow a dysfunctional family to the rescue drew kinda saves this family in around bout way but his old girlfriend find this arraignment's believable but its not the answer but drew is excited in this warm funny film for Xmas better than expected 6/10

Surviving Christmas (2004): Dir: Mike Mitchell / Cast: Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Christina Applegate, Josh Zuckerman: Standard Christmas comedy about family. Ben Affleck wishes to rekindle childhood memories but another family now lives in his childhood home so he pays the family to represent his family and reprise old memories. Good idea but structured like a sitcom with sets to match. Directed by Mike Mitchell whose best element is the character development, which is surprisingly good. Affleck is surprisingly funny as he attempts to reprise old memories and driving this family up the wall in the process. James Gandolfini steals the film as his hired father who grows rapidly impatient with the whole ordeal. Catherine O'Hara is terrific as his hired mother in a role that is perfect for her comic talent. Their marriage is in trouble so Affleck makes her an offer that lands her in hot water. The only real weak character is the daughter, played by Christina Applegate whom Affleck will fall for. Since he doesn't have a sister, she will be placed as the maid. Applegate has great comic potential but her role here is too obvious. Josh Zuckerman plays Applegate's brother who will get lured into the predictable charade. The film's purpose is to celebrate family and surviving each other long enough to remember what it is all about. Score: 5 ½ / 10

If you love Christmas…If you want to feel the magic…Try your best to Survive 'Surviving Christmas.' This movie is the #1 worst excuse for a Christmas movie. It makes 'Christmas with the Kranks' bearable. It's built on lies, deception, desperation and an incredible lack of humor or homage to the Christmas spirit. At very least, it has Scrooge's blessing, before he becomes good, that is. Here's the deal: Stay clear of 'Jingle All the Way,' 'Christmas with the Kranks' and 'Surviving Christmas' and you will have a blessed holiday season this year. 1/5 Stars.IMD(b) is making me write more. How much more can I say about this? I hated this movie with a Christmas Passion. Jamie Lee apparently was good for one role. Okay, I liked her in TRUE LIES. But other than those two, and I hope you know other role I am referring to...

"Surviving Christmas" is not a train wreck of a movie: with train wrecks, you can't look away. Calling "Surviving Christmas" a train wreck would be insulting every professional member of the railway industry, including some conductors who show up drunk to work.It is truly appalling that a movie this bad ever got green-lit. Ben Affleck is more obnoxious in this movie than he has ever been in any of his other movies (and yes, that does include "Gigli" (2003)). His acting is terrible, his timing is worse, and every time he opens his mouth, you can see him sucking every ounce of heart from this movie.To be fair, Affleck is not the only guilty party here. According to some IMDb trivia I read, the movie began filming when the script was not even finished yet. Given many of the plot holes and inconsistencies in the final product, that fact is unfortunately not too surprising.Affleck plays Drew, a rich advertising executive who apparently has no family to visit during the holidays. When he buys his girlfriend tickets to Fiji for Christmas, she walks out on him because of his steadfast refusal to spend Christmas with his family.Where is his family, you ask? Well, Drew never explains until near the end of the movie. At that point, there are so many inconsistencies with his alleged back story that it feels like a lousy excuse to justify his reasoning for many of his actions through the film.In any case, when Drew finds his girlfriend's shrink (Stephen Root), he tries to get advice from this doctor despite the fact that the doctor is rushing through the airport trying to get on an airplane with his kids. Talk about inconsiderate! The blatantly rushed psychiatrist quickly tells Drew to write down his family grievances on a sheet of paper, go to his childhood home, and burn the paper right there. That way, he will be putting his past behind him, and feeling less lonely on Christmas.This setup is only a contrived way for Drew to return to his family's home in the suburbs, and find it occupied by the Valcos, a working-class, unhappy, dysfunctional family. This family is so not into the Christmas spirit that they made me wonder if they even celebrated Christmas, a question Affleck's character appeared too dumb to ask.Ben Affleck appears so desperate for laughs in the scene where his character ventures upon his childhood home for the first time in years. He starts hugging the tree in the front yard, and laughing hysterically as he burns his grievances out front. He acts so stupidly in this scene, and comes off like a bad comedian imitating a mentally challenged man on Prozac. It's baffling how Affleck destroys his character's credibility instantly. Millionaire ad executives don't act like this.The movie doesn't get much better, as Drew offers the Valcos $250,000 to stay at their house through Christmas. The family has to play along with Drew's idea of a perfect Christmas if they want to get paid, whether they like it or not. Glum patriarch Tom (James Gandolfini) is the most begrudging in this charade, but does everything that's asked of him anyway.This movie falls apart in its failure to make sense at any point. If some douche bag were to offer me a quarter of a million dollars to stay with my family through the holidays, I would want to SEE that money IN CASH. This guy better have a suitcase with that money in it, and some form of I.D. would also help.However, Gandolfini just hears that Affleck will pay him, and jumps to the conclusion that this guy is credible. He never once thinks for a second, "Gee, this guy just might be a serial killer, or an escaped mental patient, who is just saying he has this money. He is probably bluffing us, and will rob us the first chance he gets." THAT reaction would have been plausible.After that totally contrived exhibition, the rest of the film instantly loses its credibility. Ben Affleck maintains an all-too eccentric Joker-like smile throughout the film that he practically gives himself wrinkles. Similarly, the Valco family is so surly throughout the film that it's impossible to feel any compassion for them, even when Affleck's too-chipper antics, like a mental patient tripping on Saint John's Wart, get under their skin as much as they will get under yours.Although Affleck drove his acting career into the ground with a handful of flops before this holiday dreck came out ("Gigli", "Paycheck" (2003)), it's surprising to see the very talented James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, and Christina Applegate go along for the ride. These actors also looked unhappy to be in the film, and who could blame them? "Surviving Christmas" is a huge miss. It's a terrible comedy, a horrible Christmas movie, and proof that Affleck cannot carry a leading role without Matt Damon co-starring or Kevin Smith directing. Granted, in later years, Affleck has proved himself worthy as a director, but his acting career has suffered permanent damage because of dismal films like this.I cannot imagine anyone actually liking this atrocious film. The only worthwhile scene is when James Gandolfini hits Ben Affleck over the head with a large shovel. However, that scene only happens once, and will make every audience member wish they could jump into the scene with their own shovels in hand.